Defeat Amendment To Highway Bill Seeking To Limit Air Tour Operations Over National Parks

ACTION CALL

DEFEAT AMENDMENT TO HIGHWAY BILL SEEKING TO LIMIT AIR TOUR OPERATIONS OVER NATIONAL PARKS

March 12, 2012

What’s at Issue
U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) has offered an amendment to S. 1813, the highway bill, which will likely further limit helicopter tours over national parks. The amendment is scheduled for a vote on Tuesday, March 13, 2012.

Why It’s Important
Alexander amendment #1779 would significantly affect air tour operators conducting commercial air tours over national parks by giving the National Park Service (NPS) sole authority to authorize, limit or eliminate air tours. Today, the NPS and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are equal partners in the process for establishing air tour management plans over national parks. This amendment would make the FAA subordinate to the NPS, thus upsetting the intentional balance between the interests of the environmental community and the air tour operators.

NATA Position
NATA is concerned and disappointed that Senator Alexander offered the amendment without any consultation with air tour operators. The amendment marginalizes the role of the FAA in air tour operations over national parks and tribal lands. If the amendment passes, it could mean the loss of hundreds of jobs and tens of millions of dollars in revenues. It will also limit access for visitors to our national parks, especially the elderly and the disabled.